Listen: Neal Francis Teases Upcoming EP with New Single and Grooving “Strawberry Letter 23” Cover

Neal Francis released a pair of singles today in celebration of his upcoming EP Sentimental Garbage, which will release on Nov. 18 via ATO Records. Yesterday, Francis hinted that the songs would drop by writing "New music tomorrow..." on Twitter; the tracks come in the form of a cover of Shuggie Otis' seminal song “Strawberry Letter 23” and an original song titled “Very Fine, Pts. 1 & 2."

The two singles both feature Francis' silky, grooving vocals and musicianship reminiscent of the most stylish days of the '60s and '70s. Though “Strawberry Letter 23” is often covered, Francis makes the track all his own, tastefully peppering contemporary living energy over the nostalgic groove. On “Very Fine Pts. 1 & 2,” Francis' shows his understanding of space, allowing gilded horns and tender backup vocals to gleam.

The upcoming seven-track EP's name is also found on Francis' 2021 LP In Plain Sight. “Sentimental Garbage was the working title of our last LP, which includes the track of the same name,” Francis shared in a statement. “We ended up calling that record In Plain Sight while removing the title track from the sequence. I knew this was my last chance to slap Sentimental Garbage on a record jacket, the thought of which always brought me great joy. It also works because this record is compiled of bittersweet scraps. I guess we could have also titled the record Burnt Ends.”

Francis is currently on tour in support of Marcus King and will perform for two nights at the Beacon Theatre on Sept. 15 and 16.

Pre-order Sentimental Garbage here.

Listen to “Very Fine, Pts. 1 & 2” and “Strawberry Letter 23” below.

Sentimental Garbage Tracklist:
Very Fine, Pts. 1 & 2
Don’t Want You to Know
In Plain Sight
Strawberry Letter 23
Collage
I’m Watching
Can’t Stop the Rain (Parsonage Mix)